6 ms·

Why cant they put a swinging bar at the tunnel height some distance before the tunnel? The bar knocks the top of the truck and wakes up whoever is driving to th

Why cant they put a swinging bar at the tunnel height some distance before the tunnel? The bar knocks the top of the truck and wakes up whoever is driving to the fact that the truck is too tall.

fouc 6y ago
This sounds like the perfect solution, a few swinging bars, thin enough not to knock something over but enough to make a loud banging noise.
mc32 6y ago
Just like the ones at parking garage entrances...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
loeg 6y ago
Or a wedge barrier: https://eci-illinois.com/wedge-barrier-versus-medium-size-truck-wedge-barrier-wins/ https://eci-illinois.com/wedge-barrier-versus-medium-size-tr...
- notatoad 6y ago
  i think the point is to prevent damage to trucks, not to completely destroy them
  - loeg 6y ago
    For a major tunnel like this, you'd rather prevent damage / long-term obstruction of the tunnel.
    - closeparen 6y ago
      A technology meant to kill suicide bombers might be a little much for that.
    - lifeformed 6y ago
      Well, you'll kill the occupants instead of just get them stuck.
    - dTal 6y ago
      Then why not just build a throwaway structure the same shape as the tunnel, some ways from the entrance, for people to crash into instead?
  - numpad0 6y ago
    no the point is to prevent damage to road thus preventing a mini catastrophe like an underwater tunnel collapsing Destroying the truck is indeed overkill though
- deathgrips 6y ago
  In my professional engineering opinion, this is very badass.
  - maxerickson 6y ago
    I wonder how it would do with a heavier truck (test is 7.5 ton, legal load limits here are 40 ton).
Animats 6y ago
At higher speeds, and with semitrailer-type vehicles, drivers don't notice the banging far behind them.[1] Much of the trouble at the Sydney Harbor Tunnel involves overloaded trucks with tarps on top. The truck may have taken the same route before, but become overheight due to the load. Thus, driver overconfidence. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352146516304884 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235214651...
tobtoh 6y ago
They don't work - well at least they aren't idiot-proof. See the comment above regarding the Montague Bridge in Melbourne, Australia. They have those height bars installed and we still routinely have trucks being peeled open. I have no idea how you can be so distracted when driving that you fail to register when your truck is whacked by those height bars, but ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- tetris11 6y ago
  They're not stupid, they're tired. They've been driving day in day out on autopilot. Signs begin to blur after a while.
  - rusk 6y ago
    Probably shouldn’t be driving so ...
    - throwaway2048 6y ago
      There is a long list of unhelpful "Probably" statement's that don't solve the problem.
      - rusk 6y ago
        No. Really. Driving while tired is considered to be as bad as driving under the influence. HGV drivers should really be seeing rigorous testing for this but - hurdur - freedom

Why cant they put a swinging bar at the tunnel height some distance before the tunnel? The bar knocks the top of the truck and wakes up whoever is driving to the fact that the truck is too tall.

fouc 6y ago

This sounds like the perfect solution, a few swinging bars, thin enough not to knock something over but enough to make a loud banging noise.

mc32 6y ago

Just like the ones at parking garage entrances...

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

loeg 6y ago

Or a wedge barrier: https://eci-illinois.com/wedge-barrier-versus-medium-size-truck-wedge-barrier-wins/ https://eci-illinois.com/wedge-barrier-versus-medium-size-tr...

notatoad 6y ago
i think the point is to prevent damage to trucks, not to completely destroy them
- loeg 6y ago
  For a major tunnel like this, you'd rather prevent damage / long-term obstruction of the tunnel.
  - closeparen 6y ago
    A technology meant to kill suicide bombers might be a little much for that.
  - lifeformed 6y ago
    Well, you'll kill the occupants instead of just get them stuck.
  - dTal 6y ago
    Then why not just build a throwaway structure the same shape as the tunnel, some ways from the entrance, for people to crash into instead?
- numpad0 6y ago
  no the point is to prevent damage to road thus preventing a mini catastrophe like an underwater tunnel collapsing Destroying the truck is indeed overkill though
deathgrips 6y ago
In my professional engineering opinion, this is very badass.
- maxerickson 6y ago
  I wonder how it would do with a heavier truck (test is 7.5 ton, legal load limits here are 40 ton).

Animats 6y ago

At higher speeds, and with semitrailer-type vehicles, drivers don't notice the banging far behind them.[1] Much of the trouble at the Sydney Harbor Tunnel involves overloaded trucks with tarps on top. The truck may have taken the same route before, but become overheight due to the load. Thus, driver overconfidence. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352146516304884 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235214651...

tobtoh 6y ago

They don't work - well at least they aren't idiot-proof. See the comment above regarding the Montague Bridge in Melbourne, Australia. They have those height bars installed and we still routinely have trucks being peeled open. I have no idea how you can be so distracted when driving that you fail to register when your truck is whacked by those height bars, but ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

tetris11 6y ago
They're not stupid, they're tired. They've been driving day in day out on autopilot. Signs begin to blur after a while.
- rusk 6y ago
  Probably shouldn’t be driving so ...
  - throwaway2048 6y ago
    There is a long list of unhelpful "Probably" statement's that don't solve the problem.
    - rusk 6y ago
      No. Really. Driving while tired is considered to be as bad as driving under the influence. HGV drivers should really be seeing rigorous testing for this but - hurdur - freedom